On the waterfront

Next time you're caught in traffic on the way back from Wisconsin or trying to find a spot on a busy stretch of Chicago's beachfront, look out at Lake Michigan. See how free and easy the boaters have it? That could be you.

Well, it's not so free, but it is pretty easy to join the thousands of boaters who have discovered their summer getaway is just off the shoreline.

"The lake is huge," said Bob Gerber, chairman of Sail Chicago. "It's beyond comprehension, and it's right there. Most people never get a chance to experience its hugeness."

With summer almost here, it's not too late to discover boating, one of Chicago's greatest treasures.

So, you think you wanna sail a boat?

How much does it cost to sail on Lake Michigan? Would you believe $5.

A weekday morning boat rental for members of the non-profit group Sail Chicago does cost just $5, but to become qualified it will take some time and a little bit more money. Sail Chicago requires classes ($50 for three sessions) that teach basic terminology, safety and rules of navigation followed by an on-the-water sailing test, a swim test and a written skipper's exam.

Add in a $75 annual membership fee, and you can check out a 19-foot sailboat. There also are advanced classes to enable skippers to qualify to take out a more challenging fleet of boats.

The Chicago Park District offers a junior sailing program at the Humboldt Park and Garfield Park lagoons, starting in the middle of the summer. Most of Chicago's private sailing clubs, such as the Chicago Yacht Club with locations at Monroe and Belmont Harbors, and the Columbia Yacht Club in Burnham Harbor, offer instructional classes for non-members.

Bob Gerber, Sail Chicago's chairman, compares Chicago's link to Lake Michigan with Arizona's to the Grand Canyon. But despite his love for the lake, he understands why most Chicagoans never go boating.

"The reality of sailing is you can get seasick, weather can whip up, things can break up," Gerber said. "It's not for everybody. The people that it's for are fanatical about it."

Races: From Mackinac to Beer Can

Serious racing is a huge part of Chicago's boating season, including the world-famous Race to Mackinac. Beer Can races, however, are a more social brand of racing.

These informal races, which take place on Wednesdays, are organized by many of the local yacht clubs, including the Chicago and Columbia Yacht Clubs, which do theirs together.

So where does the name come from? One boater said it comes from the social nature of the event, but Sail Chicago instructor Bob Lapin says it came about because "somebody throws a beer can in the water and says 'let's race around it.' "

If you glance at Lake Michigan on the weekends, there's a good chance you'll see Area 3 Racing or the Midwest Open Racing Fleet, both of which crown champions at the end of the summer's competition.

Last year, MORF held 32 races and culminated its season with the Commodore's Cup, an invitational for the season's top performers.

MORF Commodore Loren Thompson says part of the challenge during the summer is to find crew members who are as dedicated as the boat owners.

"The crew can't rather be playing golf than racing," he said.

If you feel like hanging out with sailors

Skippers often fill out their racing crews by picking up single sailors who have scoured yacht club bulletin boards or simply shown up at the dock as boats prepare to leave.

"Go to any yacht club and go to the bulletin board, you're going to see people looking for a crew," said Bob Gerber, Sail Chicago's chairman. "They just need people for ballast."

Ballast is one way to put it. Another is "rail meat," which is how one boater described bringing somebody aboard just to level out the weight.

If you wake up one beautiful weekend morning and decide to try and join a race crew, you can try showing up at any of the city's harbors and just start asking if they know of anybody who needs help.

"Sailors love to help people figure out where to crew," said MORF Commodore Loren Thompson.

The Chicago Yacht Club offers classes on Tuesday nights for novices who want to crew. It takes seven sessions to be eligible for crew positions on members' boats. It costs $300 for club members and $350 for non-members. To register, call 773-477-6951 or visit the sailing school at www.chicagoyachtclub.org.

Web sites where skippers and crew members can match up include www.crowleys.com, www.racemorf.org and www.lmsrf.org.

If the boat price is too high, consider sharing costs

If you're thinking of buying a boat, first consider these words of caution passed along by Scott Stevenson, vice president of Westrec Marinas, who manages the city's nine harbors.

"Some wise person said 'a boat is a hole in the water in which you pour money.' "

If the lure is still too great, you might want to consider sharing ownership with someone else. It can help cut the costs in half and also provide a built-in boating companion. But it can also be disastrous.